has anyone heard of this--funding raising for a trip (through a church)

[Dznypal]

my friend texted me yesterday that it was brought up in church about going on a trip to Tanzania

shes all excited about this--even though she mentioned just a little bit ago that they dont have any money to go on any trips--yet that alreday went to Branson in aug there going to Vegas and now thinking of this
for next year

theres an informational meetting today about it shes going to

right now she really doesnt know anything else about it--I asked her isnt that going to be expensive she said they might have fund raisers--which I thought was a little strange unless its a mission trip which she has gone on but she had to pay to go

or I asked her if it was a tour group like a guided tour going

so like i said has anyone heard of fundraising to go on a trip--if its a mission trip I could see it but if its a tour group I cant---

its odd too that the church didnt say if it was a mission trip

just wondering

 

[wilkeliza]

I have heard more and more of groups especially churches doing fundraising for trips. They may say it is a mission but they almost never are actually that. Even when they don't say it is a mission the wording will have something about helping the people of Tanzania or going as a group of faith based people in order to grow closer to the faith or whatever. My church use to do it for summer camp actually. Looking back I realize I never would have gotten to go to camp with out the fundraisers but still people were paying for us to go have summer fun. Yeah we had bible study once a day but most of the rest of it was just having fun.

 

[sam_gordon]

my friend texted me yesterday that it was brought up in church about going on a trip to Tanzania

shes all excited about this--even though she mentioned just a little bit ago that they dont have any money to go on any trips--yet that alreday went to Branson in aug there going to Vegas and now thinking of this
for next year

theres an informational meetting today about it shes going to

right now she really doesnt know anything else about it--I asked her isnt that going to be expensive she said they might have fund raisers--which I thought was a little strange unless its a mission trip which she has gone on but she had to pay to go

or I asked her if it was a tour group like a guided tour going

so like i said has anyone heard of fundraising to go on a trip--if its a mission trip I could see it but if its a tour group I cant---

its odd too that the church didnt say if it was a mission trip

just wondering

I've known plenty of groups (church, school, etc) to fundraise for a trip. They can sell items (gift wrap, candy, car wash, etc) or have bake sales, lunches/dinners with all donations going toward the trip, etc. Unless they force people to donate, I don't see the problem.

 

[scrapquitler]

my friend texted me yesterday that it was brought up in church about going on a trip to Tanzania

shes all excited about this--even though she mentioned just a little bit ago that they dont have any money to go on any trips--yet that alreday went to Branson in aug there going to Vegas and now thinking of this
for next year

theres an informational meetting today about it shes going to

right now she really doesnt know anything else about it--I asked her isnt that going to be expensive she said they might have fund raisers--which I thought was a little strange unless its a mission trip which she has gone on but she had to pay to go

or I asked her if it was a tour group like a guided tour going

so like i said has anyone heard of fundraising to go on a trip--if its a mission trip I could see it but if its a tour group I cant---

its odd too that the church didnt say if it was a mission trip

just wondering

Sounds like it might be a tour with a mission component. I've seen some groups go on these types of tours....x number of days as a tour with a few days of mission work, because if you are there you might as well see the sights, too. And yes, fundraising is part of it (not that I agree with fundraising for this type of trip, but that's just my personal opinion and I seem to be in the minority).

 

[asta]

I know a local man who has formed a charitable business where he advises mainly young church members on how to solicit others to fund their trips. I probably get exposed to these solicitations more than most because my daughters attended a private school with a religious bent. My favorite ridiculous solicitations: one month after my daughter was cut from the basketball team we were solicited to pay for a member of the team to travel to a Central America to work in a basketball camp. That particularly stung. Another especially poor student after flunking out of her first attempt at college sent a letter to the parents of her high school classmates asking us to fund her attendance at a "school" focusing on fashion.

On second thought, maybe these young people do need to be trained on how to ask for money.

 

[pryncess527]

Yes, they have grown increasingly common, IME. Personally, I am not fan. Even if they are disguised as "mission" trips, they seem to be 90% vacation.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

My nephew goes on these trips annually. He usually has 5-7 working days and 1-2 "fun" days. I have no idea how much (if any) his church contributes to the cost. Thankfully, he's never come begging from me

 

[Mizzoufan]

Yes, our youth fundraises a lot for mission trips and other activites they might wanna do. I fully support any and all fundraising a church does for youth or any mission trip.

 

[luvsJack]

I have never seen a church disguise a trip as a mission trip if that isn't what it is. My sister's church goes to Peru and El Salvador every year. Our church goes all over the world. Most local churches go on at least one mission trip a year and from the reports that come back they are all 100% about missions.

Now there are "youth trips" where a youth group goes on a trip that may or may not be about missions. DD went on one that was a week of missions and a day of fun. But a lot of youth trips are more about the youth learning more about their faith.

And some churches around here have Senior or Adult groups that go on trips. They do go to Branson or Gatlinburg or wherever. Those are just trips. The activities they do may be more religious based but they are just trips/vacations.

All of the churches here fund raise for all of these types of trips. Most church members know the difference and actually most fund raising is done within the church. A few have car washes but not all. Most do some kind of dinner plates that they sell on Sunday. Or they do a big rummage sale. We try to support as many of these fund raisers as we can.

 

[aprilgail]

Yes, they have grown increasingly common, IME. Personally, I am not fan. Even if they are disguised as "mission" trips, they seem to be 90% vacation.

I agree- I don't donate to them- if you want to go on a "mission" then make it your own mission to fund it yourself.

 

[Nancyg56]

Our Church will sometimes fundraise by way of a collection if a parishioner is going on a mission trip. We also have a few Dr's in our parish who go yearly to Haiti, and there are collections to fund the shipment of medicine and school supplies. I don't mind contributing. There is no pressure and I know the work that is being accomplished.

 

[Mokat76]

I've heard of it but I choose to not contribute. My hard-earned money goes to my vacation fund.

 

[luvsJack]

I agree- I don't donate to them- if you want to go on a "mission" then make it your own mission to fund it yourself.

For many churches the money raised does more than pay for someone's travel. The money many times pays for supplies--cleaning supplies, medical supplies, teaching supplies, etc. to take with the group for whatever work they plan to do. When a disaster has hit an area, they may take stuff or have to buy stuff there to help clean up streets, destroyed houses whatever. Some groups go to build things. Our church build a clinic in one country. The money our church members gave made that possible.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

my friend texted me yesterday that it was brought up in church about going on a trip to Tanzania

shes all excited about this--even though she mentioned just a little bit ago that they dont have any money to go on any trips--yet that alreday went to Branson in aug there going to Vegas and now thinking of this
for next year

theres an informational meetting today about it shes going to

right now she really doesnt know anything else about it--I asked her isnt that going to be expensive she said they might have fund raisers--which I thought was a little strange unless its a mission trip which she has gone on but she had to pay to go

or I asked her if it was a tour group like a guided tour going

so like i said has anyone heard of fundraising to go on a trip--if its a mission trip I could see it but if its a tour group I cant---

its odd too that the church didnt say if it was a mission trip

just wondering

People do fundraising for so many sorts of things. Fundraising is "the thing" de jour. Kickstarters & charity all over the place.

My dd is big time into the artists fundraising thing called, "Patreon", "Etsy" and other local artists.
https://www.patreon.com/

The fact that a church is organizing a trip and going to do fundraisers is neither here nor there to me. People are free to contribute or not.

Frankly I see it as an industry that relies on large groups as clients to stay in business and churches are one of those groups, much like schools. There was always some group trying to go on some trip somewhere when the kids were in school.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I'm not religious but my grandmother goes on one mission trip a year. Her church pays for the trips through tithes, I believe. She does put up her own money also. She does ask us to give any old clothes or toy hand me downs for kids there. It's usually in a very poor part of a Latin American country since it's a Spanish speaking church. It's no luxury. They don't stay in hotels. It's usually pretty dangerous and where they stay has no AC and they go in the middle of summer. I don't know how she does it but she enjoys it, I guess.

She also does 1-2 personal vacations with her friends who also go to her church and she pays for that 100%.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

I think most people who think mission trips are vacations have never been on a mission trip. Most of the time its a mattress on the floor in a cinder block house with no electricity, you have indoor plumbing if you are lucky, and hard work during the day, building houses, digging wells, distributing aid supplies ect. It isn't a condo with a pool.

 

[SMD]

Yes, they have grown increasingly common, IME. Personally, I am not fan. Even if they are disguised as "mission" trips, they seem to be 90% vacation.

A lot of it is poverty tourism. People don't want to be honest about why they're really there, so they make it out to be a "mission" when it's not.

 

[wilkeliza]

I think most people who think mission trips are vacations have never been on a mission trip. Most of the time its a mattress on the floor in a cinder block house with no electricity, you have indoor plumbing if you are lucky, and hard work during the day, building houses, digging wells, distributing aid supplies ect. It isn't a condo with a pool.

That may be your experience with mission trips but that isn't all of them. I was pretty active in my youth group and missions as a teen (was looking for any way out of my crappy situation and the church was the only thing in my neighborhood). Missions for us meant going to a summer program in Dallas and running it for a week. It was pretty much a vacation as I was there just fixing computers and hanging out with kids doing skits and stuff. We did 5 days and then 4 days (the first weekend and last) was all fun. We had electricity, a/c, home cooked food, and internet. The only "rough" thing was sleeping on airbeds.

Then there was also "mission" camp. That was were instead of rec we went to whatever community we were in and painted swingsets or planted a local garden or whatever. It was hardly real missions but they were still presented as mission trips. Again stayed in camp facilities that at minimum were like dorms and all the way up to hotel accommodations.

While I know some missions are real hard core missions more and more poverty tourism is what the majority of missions are. People come to a community they deem in need for a week, tour around, hand out a few pamphlets and pencils, and then leave. If that isn't what you do then I commend you but know that isn't what a lot of "missions" are any more.

 

[Nancyg56]

For many churches the money raised does more than pay for someone's travel. The money many times pays for supplies--cleaning supplies, medical supplies, teaching supplies, etc. to take with the group for whatever work they plan to do. When a disaster has hit an area, they may take stuff or have to buy stuff there to help clean up streets, destroyed houses whatever. Some groups go to build things. Our church build a clinic in one country. The money our church members gave made that possible.

Ours did as well. With donations from the parish and time donated by a local dentist we have built a dental clinic and have helped to pay for medical training do treatment can be continued when the group leaves. We have also sent medicine so that conditions that are a nuisance here but life threatening there can be addressed.

 

[luvsJack]

That may be your experience with mission trips but that isn't all of them. I was pretty active in my youth group and missions as a teen (was looking for any way out of my crappy situation and the church was the only thing in my neighborhood). Missions for us meant going to a summer program in Dallas and running it for a week. It was pretty much a vacation as I was there just fixing computers and hanging out with kids doing skits and stuff. We did 5 days and then 4 days (the first weekend and last) was all fun. We had electricity, a/c, home cooked food, and internet. The only "rough" thing was sleeping on airbeds.

Then there was also "mission" camp. That was were instead of rec we went to whatever community we were in and painted swingsets or planted a local garden or whatever. It was hardly real missions but they were still presented as mission trips. Again stayed in camp facilities that at minimum were like dorms and all the way up to hotel accommodations.

While I know some missions are real hard core missions more and more poverty tourism is what the majority of missions are. People come to a community they deem in need for a week, tour around, hand out a few pamphlets and pencils, and then lead. If that isn't what you do then I commend you but know that isn't what a lot of "missions" are any more.

Those times you led a day camp for kids--were those not Backyard Bible studies? And the gardens you planted or things you painted, were they not a need? That is a form of missions.

Don't know what trips hand out pamphlets and leave so can't speak on those but anytime you are meeting a need in a communtiy and either you or chrurch leaders are giving a message that is a mission trip. Helping and meeting a need is what it is about.

Usually the fun is the reward or the inticement to get the youth to go.

I really am not sure how you are able to speak on the majority of mission trips. Especially when it's not that way at all.